A "Fair" Trade

I've made a decision recently to switch to fairtrade coffee... Well after roll up the rim at Timmy's is over... Ok maybe anytime other than when I go to Timmy's, because who can resist their rich brew thats oh so reasonably priced and easily accessible on every major corner of Toronto? Not to mention its a perfect place to study long hours and meet with people! But how do I reconcile the fact that I believe in fair trade and can't resist a good cup of Timmy's coffee???


For clarification, the fairtrade certification on a product guarentees that the producers (who are almost always located in developing countries) are paid a fair wage for their labour plus a little more to provide money to invest in the building of their communities. The reason why this is so important, especially with coffee, is that often producers earn less than the cost of production leaving them in debt and trapping them in the cycle of poverty. The idea of fair trade incorporates the ideas of empowerment of individuals and communities. It empowers the individuals on both sides of the transaction: customers to be able to make informed decisions and thereby increases their dollar power, and individual producers by increasing their earnings and helping alleviate the imbalance faced by these people and help them to reduce their debt burden. So without the fairtrade guarentee, there is no way to ensure that by buying that cup of coffee you are not contributing to the problem of the farmer's debt and poverty in the developing world.


My biggest problem with Tim Horton is that their coffee is not certified by the international fairtrade certification organization (FLO). Instead Timmy's has committed to terms that are outlined by the Coffee Association of Canada for sustainability and equitable trade. In comparison to the FLO standard, though, these commitments seem weak. The organization says that they currently work with producers to develop better growing pratices to grow better and more beans, are commited to community development and fair wages, but don't actually commit to guarentee this or set any actual standards. These commitments are weak because there are too factors invovled in the coffee market driving down the price, and that anything short of guarenteeing a fair price for the product is an empty promise. The Coffee Association of Canada also tries to escape responsibility by stating on their website that there is a "limit to how much impact members of the coffee industry can have. Most long term change must be inspired by government initiatives such as export development and international trade agreements" (Coffee Association of Canada, n.d.). Although, this statement makes it seem as though the industry should not be held accountable, the solution for coffee producers is within their grasp. I guess for me though, its back to the drawing board to decide if its Timmy's or fairtrade, because it seems that its definately one or the other.

References

Coffee Association of Canada. (n.d.). Sustainability and equitable trade - overview. Retrieved
Februray 28, 2010, from http://www.coffeeassoc.com/sustain_equitable.htm.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations Internaional (FLO). (2009). What is fairtrade? Retrieved March 1, 2010,
from http://www.fairtrade.net/what_is_fairtrade.html.